One year into the $3B Provincial Growth Fund, Maxim Institute’s new analysis shows that it needs a significant course correction in order to make sure the money is well spent and can actually make a lasting positive difference.

Maxim CEO Alex Penk says: “It’s great the Government wants to invest in the regions because they’re facing some big challenges. But we all know that the faster you go, the bigger the mess, and trying to spend $3B in 3 years and do it well is a huge risk.”

“The Government’s been thinking big, now it needs to think smart,” says Mr Penk. “The PGF is the kind of policy that’s internationally recognised as high risk. As it stands, Minister Jones hasn’t taken enough steps to mitigate that risk. Our research offers 5 key ways the PGF can be improved to make it fit for purpose, and make sure that it’s a risk worth taking.”

“We applaud this Government for supporting the regions, and there’s a lot to like about the PGF. But there’s a lot that could go wrong, and we can’t afford to waste $3B that we could have spent on teachers’ salaries or hospital upgrades. If we don’t want this to end up being remembered like Muldoon’s Think Big, the Government needs to make some changes while there’s still time,” says Alex Penk.

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